Criticism has come out against Kamala Harris now that she has become the Democratic frontrunner for the presidential election following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.
The outgoing president, who announced Sunday his decision to step down at the end of his current term, has officially designated his vice president as his replacement. However, it is not up to him to make this decision, as a vote will take place at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
While there are potential opponents within the party, most of the bigwigs, such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, have endorsed Harris. As a result, Republicans, under the banner of their candidate Donald Trump, have geared their campaign toward the looming battle, while some media outlets, such as Fox News, have also turned their attention to Harris.
The presidential election is scheduled for November 5, and Biden, 81, was set to run against former President Trump, 78, as the two men locked in a fierce race to win a second term in the White House.
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Trump has faced criminal convictions and an assassination attempt, while Biden has tried unsuccessfully to allay fears about his health, memory lapses and public relations disasters, such as his poor performance in a televised debate.
Fox News Show Hannityhosted by anchor Sean Hannity, aired a special edition Sunday night after Biden announced his withdrawal from the race. Reacting to the developments and the president’s support for Harris, the TV host said, “Democracy is dead in the Democratic Party.” He described the events as an “elitist coup” and said it could be dubbed “Operation Dump and Destroy Biden.”
But he also criticized those who had worked closely with Biden for not acting sooner, saying, “No one has been more hypocritical than Vice President Kamala Harris.” He then played a series of clips showing Harris standing alongside Biden as the president appeared confused or misspoke at events.
“Tonight, every American must ask themselves: ‘What did Kamala know about his cognitive status? When did she know? … Why did she lie, along with all the Democrats, about Joe’s cognitive decline?’
Hannity also attacked Harris’ politics, saying: “If she becomes the nominee, she will be the most radical candidate of a major party to run for office. Even more radical than [former President Barack] Obama, that’s saying something,” he added. He added that the vice president had called for an end to fracking and a ban on plastic straws and had not “lifted a finger” to secure the border.
He then released clips of her laughing, with the caption: “Kamala’s awkward laughter turns off voters.” Introducing the light-hearted clips, he said: “Here’s one reason why voters seem to hate Kamala Harris. You decide.” It’s unclear why images of a woman laughing occasionally would make her unfit for public office.
The video was then shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a digital editor working for the news agency MeidasTouch.com, where it was met with bewilderment from viewers. Many were surprised that the laughter was deemed worthy of vitriol. One X user wrote of Hannity: “This is the best he’s had, the first day he was announced? That means he has nothing. She’s loved, and he just doesn’t get it, man.”
Newsweek reached out to Harris and Fox News via email for comment.
Hannity also spoke with Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s former campaign manager, who also blasted Harris. “She’s not a good speaker. She’s not a hard worker. She’s not an inspiration. And she shouldn’t be the standard-bearer of the party,” Conway said.
The video was also posted on X and some commenters were surprised to see Conway so concerned, because if all this were true, then the election would probably be easier for Republicans to win. “If she’s so bad, why wouldn’t Republicans want her to run?” one asked.
Fox News’ Will Cain and Pete Hegseth hosted a segment on On the wall titled “What Would a Kamala Harris Presidency Look Like?” FOX & Friends WeekendThe couple released a series of clips showing Harris laughing or stumbling over his words in certain situations.
They said she had at times been on the “far left” side of the Senate, supported women’s right to access abortions and had abandoned her previous tough-on-crime stance.
Cain concluded: “This would be a centerpiece of any Kamala Harris presidential campaign; it would be based on the identity politics of women and, of course, black women. And we’re already saying this: If you jump over a black woman, you’re asking for trouble, Democrats.”
A political strategist told Reuters she fears racism and sexism could affect Kamala Harris’s bid for the White House. American voters have elected only one black president and have never elected a woman, meaning Harris faces a glass ceiling at the top of American politics. “Will her race and gender be an issue? Absolutely,” said LaTosha Brown, a political strategist and co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
